Are We Playing God By Consciously Choosing Life Or Death?

October 29, 2014 6:15 PM

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This month, two very public medical cases were making waves throughout the headlines. One is about a woman who wants to choose her dying date. Brittany Maynard (29), who is battling with stage 4 Glioblastoma, one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer, has scheduled the end of her life for November 1, 2014, the day after her husband's birthday. Her reason is that she wants a less painful, less tormenting exit from a disease she knows she cannot beat. Only three states allow her to do this, so Brittany and her family moved to Oregon. No less passionate is the debate on Jahi McMath (13) from California. Upon being pronounced dead after a routine tonsil and adenoid removal surgery to treat sleep apnea at Oakland Children's Hospital last year, Jahi has been kept on life support by her mother. Since California doesn't allow keeping a legally brain dead patient on such support, she was moved to New Jersey by her family. The mother continues to claim that her daughter is "still in there and not brain dead," providing alleged new evidence in a video that went viral within hours.

In a time where medicine allows us to determine our own death or to keep a dead loved one alive, how far do we want to go? The debate in both cases is highly charged with emotional and moral undertones. In the widespread video about Brittany Maynard's choice, soft piano music and childhood memories ...